Time-controlled apparatus.



Wx A. BLANGHARD.

TIME CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1914.

1,1 20,677. Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 BHEETSSHBET 1.

wue/wtoa W. A'BLANCHARD JWMGZOOQ/O o aim:

THE NORRIS PETERS Ca, FHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D C.

W. A. BLANGHARD.

TIME CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JUNE 20, 1914.

1,120,677. Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 m, fly 3 WT fig so awuw/bo'z 3w W.A.BLA-cHAao Memo THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHOH WASHING roN, D. c

WILLIS A. BLANCHAB-D, OF LAWTON, OKLAHOMA.

TIME-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

1,12o,evv.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed June 20, 1914. Serial No. 846,370.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIS A. BLANCHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawton, in the county of Comanche and State of @lrlahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to time controlled apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus which is designed to operate the push buttons of electric light switches to automatically switch the lights on and off at predetermined intervals.

An object of this invention is the provision of time controlled apparatus of this character, the apparatus for switching the lights on and oil being controlled by a pair of ordinary clocks which are provided with alarm attachments, the operating mechanism being suitably connected to the winding stems of the alarm attachments of the clocks.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an electric light switch operating apparatus which comprises a casing in which a pair of plungers are mounted for engagement against the push buttons of a light switch, ordinary alarm clocks being disposed in the casing, and plungers being mounted in the casing in the path of pivoted spring operated levers which are also mounted in the casing, the levers being suitably connected to the winding shafts of the alarm clocks so that when the alarms of the clocks are sounded, the corresponding levers will be operated to engage against the plungers which, in turn, move the push buttons to switch the lights on or off.

Vith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig. 1 is a sectional view on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. t; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the plungers; and Fig. 8

is a perspective view of one of the blocks in which the plungers are mounted.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a wall or other suitable support on which is secured a switch plate 2, through which the push buttons 3 and at extend, the push button 3 being adapted for closing the circuit to switch on the electric lights (not shown), and the push button 1 being adapted to open the circuit to switch off the electric lights. Hingedly connected, as at 5, to the wall is a casing 6 which is open at its inner side, and is provided with three spaced horizontally disposed partitions 7, 8, and 9, the partitions dividing the casing into an upper clock compartment 10 and a lower compartment l1, and the central partition 8 dividing the central portion of the casing into an upper mechanism compartment 12 and a lower mechanism compartment 13. The casing 6 is adapted to be swung inwardly against the wall 1 so that the central partition 8 is disposed between the push huttons 3 and 4-, whereby the upper push button 3 projects within the compartment 12 and the lower push button 1 projects within the lower central compartment 13. A hook 14 is pivotally connected to the casing for engagement with a suitable keeper 15 on the wall 1 to maintain the casing flush against the wall.

Disposed in each of the compartments 10 and 11 is an ordinary alarm clock 16 which is provided with the usual winding shaft 17 for winding the spring of the alarm, the front wall of the casing being provided with openings 18 so that the dials of the clocks may be readily seen. Disposed through all of the partitions is a vertically extending rod 19 which is disposed centrally of the casing, and rotatably mounted upon the rod on opposite sides of the central partition 8 are cam shaped levers 20 and 21 which are disposed against the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the central partition 8. Each of the levers 20 and 21 is provided with a longitudinally extending handle 22, and mounted on the rod 19 above and below the levers 20 and 21 are helical springs 23, the spring above the partition 8 being secured at its upper end to the under face of the partition 7 and at its lower end to the handle 22 of the lever 20, and the spring 23 below the partition 8 being secured at its lower end to the partition 9 and at its upper end to the handle of the lever 21. The portions of the levers 20 and 21 which extend from their pivotal points to the opposite sides of the levers are relatively shorter than the portions of the levers which eX- tend from their pivotal points to the forward extremities of the levers, and the levers are normally held in a position to ex tend across the receptacle against the tension of the springs 23 by means of spring hooks 24 which are pivotally connected at one end to one side wall of the receptacle above and below the central partition 8, each of the hooks having a shoulder 25 formed thereon for engagement against the free end of the handle of its respective lever. Secured to the upper and lower faces of the central partition 8 adjacent its inner edge, are blocks 26 which are formed in their outer faces with grooves 27, the grooves being formed with flat side walls, and a plunger 28 having a flattened face is slidably mounted in the groove 27 in the block 26 in the upper face of the partition 8, and a similar plunger 29 is mounted in the groove 27 of the lower block. Each of the plungers is provided on its inner end with a wearing plate 30 and at its forward end with a cushioning block 31, the plungers 28 and 29 being of greater length than the width of the blocksv 26, and the upper plunger 28 being disposed in longitudinal alinement with the upper push button 3 and the lower plunger 29 being disposed in longitudinal alinement with the push button 4 in the wall 1, the inner ends of the plungers 28 and 29 being disposed in the path of the levers 20, and 21, respectively. Detachably connected at one end to the winding shaft 17 of the clock 16 disposed in the upper compartment 10 of the receptacle, is a cord 32, the opposite end of the cord being fastened to the looped free end of the hook 24 which engages the handle of the upper lever 20, and a similar cord 33 is detachably connected at one end to the winding shaft of the. alarm mechanism of the clock 16 in the lower compartment, the opposite end of the cord 19 being connected to the looped free end of the hook which engages the handle of the lower lever 21.

In the practical use of my device, assuming that the same is used in connectionwith the lights of store windows and it is desired to illuminate the window after the store has been closed, between the hours of eight and eleven,'the off button 4 is pushed inwardly so that the on button projects outwardly from the wall 1, and the alarm of the clock 16 in the upper compartment is set at eight oclock and the alarm mechanism of the clock 16 of the lower compartment is set at eleven oclock. The free end of the casing 6 is then swung against the wall and fastened thereto by the hook 14, it being derstood that the handles of the levers 20 and 21 are engaged by the hooks 24 and that the plungers 28 and 29 are disposed in longitudinal alinement with the buttons 3 and 4. When the alarm mechanism of the upper clock 16 is actuated at eight oclock, the winding shaft 17 is rotated and the upper end of the cord 32 is wound upon the shaft so that the free end of the hook 24 is moved upwardly to disengage the shoulder 25 thereof from the handle of the lever 20, whereupon the lever is rotated by the tension of the helical spring 23 so that the lever engages against the inner end of the plunger 28 and moves the same outwardly to force the push button 3 inwardly which switches on the lights in the show window. When the handle of the lever 20 reaches the opposite side of the casing,the same is engaged by the catch or keeper 34 to hold the lever 20 disposed across the casing, so that one of the side edges of the same is disposed outwardly of the plunger to allow the plunger 28 to be moved outwardly by the button 3 when the same moves outwardly owing to the inward movement of the button 4, the button 4 being moved inwardly by the mechanism contained in the compartment 13 at eleven oclock in the same manner as the button 3. A similar keeper 35 is connected to the inner face of the casing 6 at its opposite side from the hook 24 to maintain the lever 21 disposed across the casing after the same has been operated by the action of the lower spring 23 when the handle of thelever 21 has been released from its hook 24 when the alarm mechanism of the lower clock 16 has been actuated. Hingedly connected to the casing on its outer face is a door 36 which is adapted to close the compartments 12 and 13, so that the mechanism contained therein will be protected and disclosed from view, the door being held in a closed position by a suitable latch 37.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A controlling device for operating the push buttons of an electric switch, comprising a casing adapted to inclose the buttons, plungers slidably mounted in the casing in alinement with the buttons, spring actuated levers arranged within said casing for engagement with said plungers, means for holdingsaid levers in an inoperative position, and means for releasing said levers at predetermined intervals whereby to move said plungers and force the push buttons inwardly.

2. A switch controlling device comprising a casing, a plunger slidably moimted in the cas1ng, a vertical rod arranged in said casing, a spring actuated lever rotatably mounted on said rod for engagement against the plunger, means for engagement with said lever to normally hold the same in inoperative position, and means for automatically releasing the last mentioned means to allow the lever to rotate under the tension of its spring and move said plunger.

3. A switch controlling device comprising a casing, a central partition arranged in said casing, a vertically arranged rod disposed through said partition, handled cam shaped levers rotatably mounted upon said rod above and below said partition, plungers slidably mounted upon the upper and lower faces of said partition, coil springs mounted upon the opposite ends of said rod, each of said springs bearing at one end against the handle of one of said levers, means for holding said levers in inoperative position against the tension of said springs, and means for releasing said last mentioned means at predetermined intervals to allow said levers to rotate and move said plungers.

4:. A switch controlling device comprising a casing, said casing having a centrally arranged horizontal partition mounted therein, a vertical rod disposed centrally through said partition, plungers slidably mounted on the opposite faces of said partition, spring actuated levers rotatably mounted on said rod against the opposite faces of said partition for engagement against the plungers, hooks for engagement with said levers for normally holding the same in inoperative position, clocks having alarm attachments mounted in the opposite ends of said casing, and means connected to the winding shafts of the alarm attachments of said clocks and to said hooks, for releasing said hooks from said spring actuated levers upon operation of the alarms of said clocks at predetermined intervals.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS A. BLANCHARD.

Witnesses:

R. R. DAVIDSON, FRANK G. RENSCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

